By having a plan, you have a starting point for solving the problem and you know what materials you are going to use. If the plan doesn't work, you can analyze why –– Was it the materials? Were there some roadblocks? –– and then revise your plan to make it more doable.

Question: How could estimation play a part in the problem-solving process in these problems?

Estimation is an important skill that we often neglect. By making an estimate before you begin to solve a problem, you have a sense of what a reasonable answer might be. The more experience we (and students) have with estimation, the better we will get at making estimates.

Question: What are two different strategies you could use for measuring an irregular (not straight) line with a standard or non-standard unit?

For the non-standard unit, you could mark off a string with the basic unit of measure and use it as a "flexible" ruler to measure the length. To find the standard unit measure, you could use a tape measure, which is not rigid.